Rain poured like judgment from above.
Christian's car purred beside the gate, windows half-down, music low and arrogant.
"You getting in or what?" he called out, one hand lazily draped on the wheel.
Semira stood, soaked but stubborn, arms crossed beside Mara and Clara. She eyed him like he was some majestic wild animal she didn't trust.
"No," she said firmly.
"Suit yourself, halo girl," Christian scoffed. With a smirk, he spun the wheel and peeled off, splashing a glorious arch of muddy water that barely missed them.
Clara hissed, "What a jerk."
Mara just watched Semira. "You sure you're okay walking in this?"
"Rain is Heaven's tears," Semira whispered dramatically. "Let it fall."
Clara blinked. "Okay... She's weird."
---
Back home, things got wilder.
The moment they stepped in, Mara dropped her bag and pressed a button on a box. The TV lit up. Loud, flashing colors filled the room.
Semira screamed, snatched her belt off, and started praying.
"I bind every trapped spirit inside this cursed mirror! I command thee to come out in the name of Jesus!"
Clara choked on her soda.
"That's the TV!" Mara laughed.
Semira wasn't convinced. "This one is possessed. Look at their eyes—they're blinking in patterns!"
Then her gaze shifted to the microwave. It beeped as Mara reheated food.
Semira froze.
It dinged.
"Another one?" she gasped.
She dropped to her knees. "Fire-breathing shrine of demons, I rebuke you!"
She sprinkled water from her bottle, eyes shut, chanting, "Every witchcraft appliance, catch fire!"
Clara held onto the counter, laughing so hard she almost fell. "I can't—this girl is insane!"
"She's just... adapting," Mara said, trying not to laugh too.
---
Night came, but Semira didn't sleep. She asked where the altar was. Mara offered a corner and a scented candle.
She turned the candle upside down and said, "In Heaven, this means urgent blessing."
Clara whispered to Mara, "You brought home a holy lunatic."
---
Morning arrived with chaos.
Semira stepped out in a neon yellow top, floral pants, one sock on her hand, and a belt wrapped around her head like a crown.
Clara stared. "Are you cosplaying confusion?"
Semira smiled proudly. "I am dressed for battle."
Mara gave her a long robe instead. "No. You're dressed for detention."
---
School was worse.
Everyone stared at Semira—not because she was weird (okay, that too)—but because she was gorgeous. Like, angel-on-earth gorgeous.
Guys tripped over lockers. Girls paused mid-sentence. Teachers looked up and forgot what they were saying.
And then she spoke.
"Good morning, children of Earth!" she beamed, holding her notebook like a scroll. "Where do we offer incense?"
A boy choked on his gum.
Mara pulled her aside. "Stop sounding like the Bible."
"But we are in the temple of knowledge, are we not?"
"Just say 'class,' please."
---
Later that day, the intercom buzzed.
"Semira... uh... Semira N—can you please come to the principal's office?"
Mara gave her a look. "What did you do now?"
"I only asked if they baptized the water in the swimming pool."
"Oh my God."
---
In the principal's office, a woman with thin glasses smiled at her.
"You've been awarded a special scholarship," she said.
Semira blinked. "Like... a ship for scholars?"
"No, dear. It means your tuition is fully covered."
Semira stared upward in silence. Is this the blessing? Is this what Father meant?
She left the office glowing. She looked at the school, at the people, at the hallway filled with life.
"I like it here," she whispered.
Clara rolled her eyes. "That makes one of us."
After their first class ended, Semira continued her usual weirdness, marveling at light switches, jumping back at the sound of an automatic hand dryer, and nearly baptizing a vending machine with her bottled water while whispering, "Holy fire, cleanse this demon box!" Mara and Clara kept dragging her along, struggling to keep her from performing more public exorcisms on common appliances.
The hallway was alive with chatter and laughter, students pouring out of classrooms. Semira twirled in a slow circle, eyes wide at the tiled floor and blinking lights. Her expression was childlike wonder and suspicion all wrapped in one. That's when it happened.
A hush fell across the hallway.
Feet paused mid-step. Phones stopped clicking. Conversations melted into whispers.
Someone had just entered the hallway.
It was Kim.
Tall, effortlessly charming, and glowing like a teen heartthrob bathed in sunlight, Kim strolled in with his backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. His signature smirk in place, he gave a few nods and high fives as the students began to cheer his return.
"Kim! Kim's back!"
"Oh my God, look at his hair!"
"He got even hotter! How is that even possible?!"
Semira, hearing the sudden shift in energy, turned to look. Her eyes met his from across the hallway.
A spark.
Kim froze for half a second. The cheering students blurred out of his vision. He couldn't breathe. He didn't even know why. All he saw was the girl with the glowing skin, the curious gaze, and an ethereal aura he couldn't explain.
And Semira? She tilted her head.
"This one carries something heavy," she whispered to herself.
Kim took a step toward her, but just then, a voice cut through the tension.
"Christian!"
The hallway stirred again.
Christian was standing with Aria, the school's prettiest girl and currently his next target. Aria was giggling, eyes fluttering like she was already falling. Christian's grin said he knew it.
Then came the interruption.
"Christian, Son of Light!"
Everyone turned.
Semira was standing in the middle of the hallway, pointing at him with eyes full of divine fire.
Christian froze.
Aria's smile vanished.
Jeremiah, the football team captain and Christian's fiercest rival, was just approaching from the other side.
And he saw it all.
Semira's outburst. Christian's startled reaction. Aria standing in front of him.
"What the hell, bro?!" Jeremiah barked, already storming toward them.
Christian squared his shoulders, stepping in front of Aria. "Back off, Jeremiah. Don't you have practice or something?"
"Practice can wait. Stay away from my girl."
"Your girl? She was just laughing at my joke. Maybe work on your sense of humor."
Jeremiah shoved him.
Christian didn't hesitate. He pushed back.
Before anyone could stop it, fists were flying. Students screamed. Some pulled out their phones.
Semira gasped and rushed forward. "Stop! This is not the way of peace!"
She moved between them just as Jeremiah swung again.
The punch landed.
But not on Christian.
Semira's head snapped to the side. Her body crumpled to the floor.
The hallway went dead silent.
Christian's eyes widened in shock. Jeremiah froze, his arm still mid-air.
Kim, who had been watching from the other end, dropped his bag and sprinted toward her.
Semira lay motionless, a thin line of blood trailing from her lip.
"Semira!" Christian shouted, falling to his knees beside her.
Kim shoved through the crowd and knelt beside him.
Christian looked up at Jeremiah with fire in his eyes. "You hit her..."
Jeremiah backed away, panic overtaking his face. "I—I didn't mean—"
But Christian wasn't listening.
Kim was already lifting her carefully. Her eyes fluttered, but she didn't wake.
Christian's mind raced, heart pounding. He didn't know why it hurt so much to see her like this. He barely knew her.
And yet, something inside him cracked.
The crowd parted as they carried her away, but somewhere beyond them, a pair of dark, glowing eyes watched from the shadows.
Waiting.
Watching.
Smiling.